


i'm family

by childoflightningg



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:33:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28826742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/childoflightningg/pseuds/childoflightningg
Summary: Annabeth's hurt and in the hospital, and they won't let Sally in. So she lies.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Sally Jackson (Percy Jackson)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 140





	i'm family

**Author's Note:**

> wrote a text post about this a million years ago and every time it picks up a note this little scene plays out in my head

“She’s hurt,” Percy said. Panic spilled from his voice. Sally could hear cars honking in the background. “Mom, I can’t get there. She’s hurt really bad. This manticore attacked her and she had to get a mortal cab driver to take her to the hospital. I can’t get back till—shit, at least tomorrow—I had to shake this giant scorpion off my tail, I’m out of money, I’m hiding in this phonebooth and I can’t get back right now. I can’t be with her.”

“Okay—okay, Percy, slow down,” Sally said. Her heart was racing but she tried to make her voice as soothing as possible. “Where is she?”

Percy gave the name of the hospital. “I can’t even get in contact with her after this, I don’t know what the number of her unit is and I only had enough change for one call.” 

“I’ll go and I’ll I.M. you when we have some news,” Sally said. “Or Annabeth will, as soon as she’s up to it. Okay?”

Percy didn’t respond. All Sally could hear was his rushed breathing against the noise of the traffic around him.

“It’s going to be okay, Percy,” Sally said, trying not to imagine being wrong. “She’ll be okay, sweetheart.”

She heard Percy draw in another breath as if he were about to speak. Then there was a mechanical click from the payphone and the line went dead.

\- - - 

Sally burst into the hospital, getting hurried directions from the information desk, walking quickly enough to make her legs ache until she arrived at Annabeth’s unit.

“Woah,” said a nurse in blue scrubs, wedging herself between Sally and the door. “Are you a visitor?”

Sally stepped back, readjusting her purse strap on her shoulder and trying to collect herself. “Yes. Uh, Sally Jackson. Do I need a name tag or something? I’m just here to see Annabeth. How is she? Is she okay?”

“I’m sorry, it’s family only,” the nurse said. Her voice was gentle but firm, and her eyes made clear she was used to enforcing the policy and wouldn’t be talked out of it.

“But—” Sally’s head spun. “I am family.”

The nurse raised an eyebrow. “You’re family?”

“Her mother,” Sally blurted. She swallowed. “I’m her mom.”

The nurse still looked skeptical. “You said your last name was Jackson?”

“She has her father’s surname,” Sally said. “She takes after him.”

The nurse glanced at the chart in her hand. “Well. Wait here.”

\- - -

Annabeth glanced aside to make sure the nurse wasn’t coming in, then moved her gown aside to look at the wound. The bandage stretched from her ribs to a spot right next to her navel, and the pain throbbed even underneath all the painkillers. She touched the edge of it and winced. A dull rusty stain was already soaking through some of the material. _Damn_. If she had just had some nectar and ambrosia in her bag after the attack, this could have been avoided. She would have to hope nothing in manticore venom was too magic for mortal doctors to heal, at least until she was strong enough to get to camp.

The nurse poked her head into the room and Annabeth hurriedly pulled her gown back over the bandage. “Your mom’s here,” she said. “Do you want to see her?”

Annabeth blinked, wondering if she’d misheard somehow, or if she’d lost enough blood to hallucinate. “My _mom_?”

“Yes, and she nearly broke the door down before I could stop her.” The nurse rolled her eyes.

Annabeth’s heart leapt. An image of Athena in full ancient Greek regalia, tearing through the floodlit halls of the hospital to get to her flashed in her mind.

“I think there’s some mistake,” Annabeth said. “She wouldn’t have come.”

The nurse pursed her lips. “Should I send her away?”

“I...she’s really here?”

“Yes,” the nurse said. “I can either let her in or tell her no, but you have to make a choice.”

Annabeth swallowed. “You can let her in.”

“All right.” The nurse slipped out of the room. Annabeth tried to sit up slightly higher against her pillows and combed her fingers through her tangled curls, her heart pounding. Realizing what she was doing, she laughed at herself and forced herself to lay her hands in her lap. She didn’t really think her mother was here, did she? The painkillers were making her stupid.

Suddenly it crashed down on her—she was in a mortal hospital, with a mortal nurse, susceptible to the Mist. What kind of monster claiming to be her mother had she just allowed entry?

Panic welled up in Annabeth’s chest. She was helpless, barely strong enough to lift a cup of water, and her dagger was somewhere between here and the bridge she’d been attacked on. First she’d forgotten nectar, now this. Why couldn’t she stop making life-threatening mistakes?

The door creaked open again and she tensed. A woman with dark curls and a warm, concerned expression leaned into the room. “Hey,” Sally Jackson said softly. “Feeling up to some company?”

“Oh,” Annabeth said. She suddenly felt as though her throat had closed up. “Sally,” she said, her voice cracking.

“I hope it’s okay I came,” Sally said. “I had to lie, so if anyone asks, I’m your mom.”

Annabeth smiled tremulously. “I—” She wiped her eyes.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to overstep or—”

“No!” Annabeth said. “That’s not it at all.” She cleared her throat. “Thank you for coming.”

Sally gingerly took a seat on the edge of the bed and took Annabeth’s hand. “Percy called me in a little bit of a panic. He can’t get here till tomorrow,” she said.

“I know,” Annabeth said, sinking back into the pillows. “I told him not to feel bad about it. Maybe I shouldn’t have called him till I got here. I know I scared him.”

“No, it’s good you told him so I could come for you,” Sally said. “We didn’t want you to be alone.”

“I would have been okay,” Annabeth said stubbornly. “I’ve done a lot on my own.”

“I know,” Sally said. “But you shouldn’t have to.”

Annabeth looked down.

After a minute Sally gave her hand a squeeze. “I brought one of my emergency drachmas,” she said. “Should we give Percy a call and let him know you’re on the mend?”

Annabeth squeezed back. “Yes, please,” she whispered.

“All right, I’ll try and make a rainbow.” She looked around quickly. “Although there doesn’t seem to be any way to do that in here.”

“Maybe the gift shop has something that would work as a prism,” Annabeth said. “Or a clear water bottle?”

“I’ll go look,” Sally said, standing and picking up her purse. “Don’t worry, I’ll come right back.” She smiled and slipped out the door.

Annabeth let out a shaky breath and leaned back. The pain throbbing under the bandage felt less pronounced somehow, and she wondered if it would be safe to let herself drift off. Maybe when Sally got back and could watch over her.

It was nice, not being alone.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! i'm annaethchase on tumblr if you want to find me there :)


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